AI apps are booming in app stores. Many developers add AI to their products hoping for more profit. But a new report shows this strategy may not keep users long.
The 2026 State of Subscription Apps report by RevenueCat says AI apps find it harder to keep subscribers. This is compared to normal apps.
Subscriptions Canceled Faster
Users cancel yearly subscriptions for AI apps about 30% faster. This is more than apps without AI. This is called churn rate. 'TechCrunch' shared the report. 'Al-Arabiya Business' saw the details.
The report studied many apps. It looked at over 1 billion app transactions yearly. This was for apps using RevenueCat tools. These apps made over $11 billion for developers.
AI apps are not everywhere yet. They are 27.1% of all subscription apps. Regular apps are 72.9%.
Where Are AI Apps Found?
The report shows image and video apps use AI the most. About 61.4% of these apps use AI. Games use AI the least, only 6.2%.
AI use is also low in travel apps (12.3%) and business apps (19.1%).
AI apps include chatbots like ChatGPT and Gemini. It also includes any app that says it uses AI.
Weak User Retention
The report found AI apps keep fewer users than other apps. After 12 months, only 21.1% of users stay with AI apps. Other apps keep 30.7%.
Each month, AI apps keep 6.1% of users. Other apps keep 9.5%.
The only exception was weekly subscriptions. AI apps kept slightly more users at 2.5% versus 1.7% for others. But weekly subscriptions are not common for these apps.
Higher Refund Rates
AI apps also have about 20% more refund requests. This might mean users are unhappy. They may not like the value they get.
The report thinks fast AI tech changes make users try many apps. They look for new features. This makes them less loyal to one app.
Strong Initial Profits
AI apps still do well at first. They convert trial users to paid subscribers more often. This is 52% higher than regular apps.
These apps also earn 20% more from each download. The long-term value of a paid user is higher too. The average monthly value is $18.92 for AI apps. This is compared to $13.59 for other apps.
The report concludes AI helps apps earn fast and attract users early. But keeping users long-term is still a big challenge.